Oh, it's large alright. And heavy. For instance, each head weighs well over 100 pounds. And took two men and two Advil (me) to move.

Denis' assembly takes up one corner of our lot, and has progressed steadily, if slowly. I equate it to obtaining parts, as I explained to some who wondered with refreshing directness "WTF?"

Apart from that, what's particularly fascinating is the complication of the engine. There is an exactitude executed in what one would think is a simple ol' American engine. And I don't at all use the reference to a watch's complication lightly.

Good work, Denis! :D

Acquiring the parts has been a real pain and expensive. A lot of them make Porsche parts look positively cheap in comparison. $325 for a set of VC gaskets. (They have wiring harnesses in them). Guys put $10k easily into building high HP motors. And you can still use all of the big stock parts, they are over-engineered.

Marv, I would not recommend R&Ring one of these engines unless you have a serious home shop set-up. I am a pretty serious amateur, and I had to invest in a heavy-line engine hoist and engine stand. That was no big deal, but it is a potentially dangerous job since the motor weighs as much as Honda Goldwing. Other than that, it's not rocket science but certain processes have to be done exactly right if you want it to run right and last. If you are a perfectionist, it's a fun hobby IMO. Some day I will have a real home shop and not have to burden my friends for space, then it will be fun and unhurried.

Thats a 7.3 correct? the 6.0 thats in my truck is supposed to be even more complex :rolleyes: ...in any event.

When you get it running, it would be wise to install a by-pass type auxilary oil filter system. Oberg, Racor etc make some good systems.

These engines need good clean oil. On my 6.0 PSD I can tell when the oil needs changing just by the way it runs. TYpically I get 4000 miles between changes.

Wow, those injectors are monstrous. The intake manifolds look funky. Geez, those piston tops are crazy. What a zoo in there.

Looks really clean, though. I bet she's good for another 5000 miles, eh? :p

Better be, that's how far I'm driving it as soon as it's finished. :)

Nice write up Speeder!

We have 3 PSD's in our shop, and have been really good trucks. We ask ours to do more than they were designed for, and have very rarely let us down. We maintain ours to the hilt though. if it even acts like something's wrong, it goes to the dealer. I just put 400 miles on one today, and it rolled the odometer to a little over 450k, and still got 18 mpg with a few tons in the back.

For a little more zing, try a smaller turbo on it. Ford used units that were too big for these engines. By the time the turbo gets spooled up, and really starts working, the motor is at the redline. Most folks don't drive them at redline all the time. A smaller turbo really wakes them up, and makes the a lot more fun to drive!

Nice pics, those injectors look really similar to what was on the new Detroit Diesel and Mercedes engines, I think they were a Bosch N1 or something like that. Maintenance is huge, the biggest difference between a 900k and 200k engine was proper oil change intervals, with quality oil. Regular fuel filter changes are huge as well, because proper pressure is so key. It was funny how many guys would bring in their diesels fearing the worst, only to find it was the fuel filters.

Exactly. Diesels don't require all that much maintenance, but what they do require is absolutely essential. Especially the new generation DIT motors, the old Mercedes IDI cars were more of an indestructible cockroach but I've still seen those grenade as well.

Clean oil and clean fuel is the key, and perfectly functioning injectors which are a function of those 2 things.

FWIW, I spend a lot of time on TheDieselstop.com where everyone does oil analysis after X number of miles and some PSDs are just fine after 6-7k miles before changing the oil. (Or longer). The key is to use the best oil out there, (Rotella/Chevron Delo/Mobil diesel), and the correct filter(s) and test that oil! Same w/ fuel filters, this is not a place to scrimp on a no-name filter off of eBay as tempting as it is due to the OEM's high cost. And a perfect intake/air filter w/ no leaks in air box/intake system.

Where are you guys getting your oil analysis done? Methinks this is a good idea. The Dodge has 85k miles, and I think 200k is not out of reach as long as the chassis holds up (knock on side of head).
jurgen

Yikes!!! I have an '04 6.0L PSD. I believe the recommended oil change is 7500 miles? That's the interval I've been using for dealer oil changes.

My wastegate valve was defective for awhil last fall. Wow, could she ever scoot! Once they replaced the valve, I complained that the engine didn't have enough power anymore. Power is addicting.

Richard, they make all kinds of programs for these trucks to change the boost, etc.., you can have ~100 extra HP pretty safely if you use the right company for the chip. You would have to do your homework because I don't follow the 6.0 upgrades, but for 7.3s the names to avoid are Diablo and Banks, believe it or not. There are some smaller boutique companies making much better chips that do not send EGTs through the roof.

As for oil changes, 7500 should be just fine. Just make sure to use an OEM filter and the best OEM standard oil or better. Not much different than the Porsches/Ferraris. If you are using the dealer you should be fine.

For oil analysis the biggest company is Blackstone, they charge about $20.00 for 1 test and it's worth it. You learn a lot about your oil and engine. Here is a link: http://blackstone-labs.com/free_test_ford.html

I am going to get a fumoto oil drain tap that makes drawing a little for a test easier, plus they are great for oil changes. Here is good place to buy one:

http://www.dieselsite.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=33

Denis,
If you don't have a by-pass filter, you should get one ($130 & easy to install). I put the Oil Gard on mine & I can draw oil from it for testing. I haven't tested mine yet but may soon, since I have to change oil & filters in 500 miles (60K). I also read the diesel sites including the dieselstop. Seems like a lot of questions are addressed over & over again, not like here where a broader range or things are talked about. Could be there isn't the variety of problems & mods. I've done some things to mine since getting it: oil by-pass filter, coolant filter, AIH delete, crossover high pressure line, AIS filter, BTM, Zoodad & a couple of other things I can't think of right now. My next project is gauges, tranny filter, 6.0 tranny cooler and synthetic blend fluid. By the way, I just had to have the turbo pedestal replaced. It started leaking oil. I don't expect to rebuild mine, since I expect it to run for another 450K miles. I've rebuilt gas V8s before (Chev, Olds, Chrysler, Ford), but I think I'm getting a little old to wrestle with a 900 lb. monster.

The injectors were develoepd by CAT and International. They were called HEUI injectors (Hydraullically actuated Electronic Unit Injector). The 6.0L are a Siemens/International design. You have to really beat the living piss out of a 7.3L to damage it. I work as a design engineer at International. All I can say is use "OEM" oil/Fuel filters. They're from Racor, and we did a lot of work with them to keep this engine running the way people expect it to. Don't buy the "will fit" crap. You just spent $40K on a truck. The 6.0L also has a chassis mounted fuel filter. It's very important to change that with the engine mounted one.

I rebuilt a 7.3L (T444E International version). It's really not that hard. Just incredibly heavy compared to the Porsche stuff we talk about here.

For 2-3 years I made my living with 7.3l PSDs in the F-550SD chassis. We really appreciated the tell-tale on the air filter, as that seemed to be the most frequent change for us. We spent a lot of time on gravel roads & lots (towing & repossession), and went through filters fast. We usually kept a few extras in the truck box, because once the air filter was done, the truck pretty much turned into a dog.

Dennis, I agree with all the advice/anecdotes discussed above and it sounds like you're pretty knowledgable. One other caveat to mention - take care of your batteries!!! We chased down a nasty cold start issue one time to weak batteries - they would crank the motor over all day long, but apparently we weren't getting enough RPM or power to the glow plugs, or something. That engine absolutely would NOT start on bad batteries, and trying to jump one of these trucks from the average car/truck usually just results in a pair of red-hot jumper cables and overworked donor battery. The PSD wants lots of AMPS to start up with.

Marv, You've got a good set of mods on your truck. I agree about the diesel boards, there are some very helpful and knowledgeable people but the volume of responses and general store of info pales in comparison to Pelican. I really miss the 911 tech board, it is truly the gold standard of tech BBSs IMO. There is a data base on PP that includes lots of studied opinions from engineers and shop owners who have truly seen it all, and people are not afraid to tell you immediately if something is junk or just not a worthwhile upgrade.

On the diesel sites I find that you really have to read between the lines and do your own research on a lot of important issues, like performance chips and certain expensive mods that are not intelligent for a work-horse vehicle. The problem is that there is a racer crowd on those boards that builds trucks for pulling contests and 1/4 mile racing that has absolutely nothing to do w/ what 99+% of people want their truck to do, yet all upgrades/mods get tossed into one big worthless salad that benefits SEMA members and nobody else. I could never say it over there, (I'd get the boot), but it chaps my hide the way that so many young, impulsive guys are spending away their security and future on a worthless (to them) truck that they don't need. A lot of them are in the service and spending their combat bonuses from Iraq, there was a big story recently about the Army trying to educate the young ones about getting buried at the auto dealer. I know, it's none of my business but it bugs me.

I have a new 6.0 trans cooler on the way, (under $100 on eBay), the 203 thermostat from Dieselsite, and plan on gauges and a better intake + probably the DP tuner 80HP econ/tow reflash for under $100. Have not decided between the AIS and the Tymar w/ custom fabricated cold air supply. What exactly is the zoodad again? Oh yeah, also doing the AIH delete.

I would like to learn more about the supplementary filter systems, (oil & coolant), are they really necessary or overkill? TIA.

Denis,
I will be going the 203 thermostat route when mine gives up & the DP tuner after I hit 100K. I believe in the oil bypass & coolant filters. I want the thing to last as long as I can & read/hear about the standard oil filters not filtering out particles smaller than 20-30 microns. Apparently there can be casting sand, particles & scale that the coolant filter eliminates & helps out the water pump. The tranny filter is probably overkill, but cheap. Maybe Jay has some opinions about these.
I liked the AIS since it's supposed to do the best job of filtering, & it is a Ford item that fits right in. The Zoodad mod it just a hole cut in the plastic partition on the driver side of the radiator where the air intake tube from the filter terminates. The hole lets air go directly into the intake tube. I put a third of a soffet vent over the hole with the louvers pointing forward. It should keep out most things while letting air flow.
I plan to build a house this next year & bought the truck to do some towing & hauling.

I just want to reiterate how freaking incredible this BBS is terms of human resources. I post this thread in OT just for the heck of it in case anyone is curious about diesels and I get a 1/2 dozen PSD owners + an engineer from International and today I got an email from a member who is an engineer at Racor.

We have something special here, lightning in a bottle in terms of the power of the 'net. Doctors, lawyers, musicians, engineers, contractors, wild animal trainers, etc., etc..... :D

I owe this board a lot and try to give back whenever possible, so now you guys in L.A. know that I have a PU truck that can tow stuff so PM me when that motorcycle breaks down or whatever. :)

Awesome thread! Some of the DIY projects that get posted here are really amazing to me.

I notice on my TDI that the fuel filler opening is much larger without that flap you normally see in gas cars. Plus for some reason it's a magnet for dust and dirt, luckily it has a rubber sealed lid to seal it.
And it's a good thing i read this, just reminded me to change the oil in the TDI. Going to switch from delo 15-40 to delvac 15-40 and see how she likes it. No complaints about delo, just got the delvac at a good price and want to see if she likes it. So far our other diesel (1985 300sd) seems to like the delvac a lot, it actually quieted the valve train a little bit.

Any truth to the rumor that there will be a diesel V6 for the F150?

My current F150 will probably wear out in the next 2-3 years, so I'm debating between an F250 with the 6.0 PSD or the F150 with the 5.4 gasoline V8. It'd be a daily driver with occassional towing/hauling duties. I think a diesel V6 would trump both for my situation.